External nasal dilators worn on the skin surface of the human nose are well disclosed in the art. In use the external nasal dilator is flexed across the bridge of the nose, engaging the nasal passage outer wall tissues on each side of the bridge, and held thereto by adhesive.
A resilient member (synonymously referred to in the art as a spring, spring member, resilient band, resilient member band, spring band, or bridge) extends along the length of the device, secured to a thin, flexible sheet or sandwiched between two thin flexible sheets. Flexed across the bridge of the nose, the resilient member exerts spring biasing forces that urge the nasal outer wall tissues outward, stabilizing, expanding dilating the nasal passageways. Stabilized or dilated tissue reduces nasal airflow resistance within the nasal passages, promoting a corresponding increase, ease, or improvement in nasal breathing. Increased nasal airflow may have beneficial effects generally; for example, more restful or restorative sleep, or beneficial effects with regard to nasal congestion, nasal snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. External nasal dilators have been shown to have beneficial effects for athletes, particularly in sports where a mouthguard is worn.
A particular inherent limitation of the external nasal dilator is peel forces generated by the dilator's resilient member(s) that, together with some tensile forces, act to disengage, or delaminate, the device from the skin surface. It is desirable to include design attributes in dilator devices that mitigate delaminating effects, or that otherwise shift at least a portion of peel forces into shear forces. The present invention builds upon the prior art in this regard, using an elastic membrane, or web, as part of the resilient element.